


And I Say It's All Right

by sophie_448



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Discussion of Depression, M/M, glossing over of treatment and recovery for the sake of length
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-03
Updated: 2011-10-03
Packaged: 2019-03-29 00:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13915005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophie_448/pseuds/sophie_448
Summary: Pete doesn't worry when he doesn't see Mikey for a few days.  When he stops texting, that's a whole different thing.





	And I Say It's All Right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KateMonster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateMonster/gifts).



> Written for [](https://celtic-cookie.livejournal.com/profile)[celtic_cookie](https://celtic-cookie.livejournal.com/) for their birthday. I hope this isn't too crappy as presents go. I tried for schmoop and this is what I ended up with. 
> 
> Title from and story inspired by "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles. Unbeta'd like woah.

Pete doesn’t think anything of it when he doesn’t see Mikey for a few days a week or two before midterms. College is busy, and they’re in different years with different majors. Sometimes they lose track of each other a little bit. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the music scene in town, they probably never would have met in the first place. Pete loves music for all kinds of reasons, but especially for bringing him Mikey.

So, it’s almost midterms. Pretty much everyone is locking themselves in the library trying to catch up on everything they’ve been putting off for half a semester. Pete’s not that surprised when it’s Thursday and he hasn’t seen his boyfriend since the weekend. When Mikey stops texting, though, Pete’s at Def Con 1 in about ten seconds flat. He asks all their friends and anyone else he can think of, and it turns out no one has seen Mikey.

Pete is not panicking. He is totally calm and collected. Okay, so his hands are shaking a little when he knocks on Mikey’s door. And who thought it was a good idea to give a sophomore a single, anyway? Mikey didn’t even have a roommate Pete could check with.

“What?” someone calls from inside. Pete tries the door and finds that it’s unlocked. He pushes inside, and Mikey’s in the bed. Pete’s knees nearly give out at the relief that hits him all at once.

“Oh, thank god. I thought you were dead, dude,” he says.

Mikey shrugs, shifting the blankets around him. “No,” he says, but it sounds all wrong.

Pete takes a closer look and changes his assessment of the situation from “fine” to “could not possibly be less fine.” Mikey’s hair is a tangled, greasy mess, there are dark circles under his eyes like he hasn’t slept for days, and he just looks—flat. Like all the life and awesome amazingness that’s usually there has just drained out of him. Pete’s pretty sure he knows what’s going on. Not like he doesn’t have enough firsthand experience with it.

“What’s wrong, Mikes?” he asks anyway.

Mikey shrugs again. “I’m just … really tired.”

Pete nods. “Yeah, happens to the best of us.” He toes off his shoes and pushes gently at Mikey’s side. “Scoot over.”

Mikey does, and Pete slips under the covers and presses up close, wrapping his arms around Mikey.

For a while, they just breathe together. Pete pets Mikey’s hair, and his arm and the curve of his hip. Being quiet is not exactly Pete’s default setting, but Mikey needs him, and he can do anything for Mikey.

After a while, Mikey mumbles something into the curve of Pete’s neck.

“What?”

“Everything’s just really messed up,” Mikey says, still soft, but clear.

Pete nods. “Yeah, I know. Sucks.”

“Yeah,” Mikey agrees.

Later, when Mikey drops off to sleep for a bit, Pete goes out in the hall and pulls out his phone. His first call is to Gerard. He tells him to get his ass out here and help fix his brother like yesterday.

Gerard just sighs heavily when Pete tells him what’s going on. “I was hoping he wouldn’t have to deal with that shit, but I guess he’s more like me than I thought.” Pete feels a guilty little stab of relief. He was so afraid that maybe he’d broken Mikey. Maybe hanging around him and all his drama had just been too much. He’s not convinced it didn’t, but at least it’s not the whole story. Gerard promises he’s getting in the car as soon as they hang up, and Pete breathes a little easier.

Next, he calls his therapist and asks for a recommendation for Mikey. She gives him the speech about not being able to force someone to get help, but he pushes, swears he’s just trying to provide resources, which is _true_ , he hasn’t been in therapy this long without learning _something_ jesus, and finally she gives him a name.

 

~*~

It’s not magic, and it takes time, but Mikey gets better. Halfway through November, he gives Pete that smirking lip twitch that would be a full-blown grin from anyone else. Pete feels the cold, hard knot of dread that had been living in his chest since early October loosen and unravel. The smile looks so good that he has to lean into Mikey and taste it.

“Mikeyway, you are magic,” Pete declares. “You’re a magical unicorn.”

Mikey just shrugs and nods agreeably as if this was obvious. God, Pete loves him so much.

 

~*~

The two weeks or so between Thanksgiving and finals are crazy, and Pete’s watching Mikey like a hawk in addition to trying not to fail any of his classes. He knows Mikey notices. Mikey’s an observant ninja like that. But he just leans into Pete’s shoulder for a moment where they’re studying side by side at a table on the quiet floor of the library and then turns back to his work.

One night, Pete announces they’re taking a study break. He’s tried to impress on Mikey the importance of taking regular breaks to maintaining relative sanity. Mikey closes his book, gets up, and follows Pete out of the dorms and down to the student commons.

“Acapella? Really?” Mikey asks when he realizes they’ve arrived just in time for the holiday concert of the most prestigious of the billion acapella groups on campus.

Pete puts on his best innocent face. “We’re here to support Patrick!” he says. Which is true, if not the whole truth.

Mikey nods agreeably and they find seats.

Midway through the show, Patrick steps up the middle of the stage for a solo. He makes a face as he adjusts the mike since Gabe had the solo before him. He clears his throat and shifts awkwardly for a moment, which Pete never fails to find adorable.

“So,” Patrick says. “I’m not supposed to say who it’s from.” He rolls his eyes slightly. “But this next song is dedicated to Mikey Way.”

Mikey gets all wide-eyed and looks from the stage to Pete. “You did this,” he whispers.

Pete can’t hold back his grin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, but he’s not even kidding himself that it’s convincing.

Then Patrick and the rest of the guys launch into “Here Comes the Sun.”

“You did this,” Mikey says again, but his eyes have gone all soft.

“Love you, Mikeyway,” Pete says.

Mikey leans in, presses a kiss to his jaw, and whispers, “You too. Thanks,” before turning back to watch Patrick, that not-smile playing around his lips.

“Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces,” Patrick sings.

Pete reaches over and laces his fingers through Mikey’s. He thinks that’s just about right.


End file.
